Braiding-machine.



0. A. ALBRECHT.

BBAIDING mcamn.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. 1911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

0. A. ALBRECHT.

BBAIDING MACHINE.

APYLIUATIOK, IILED JUNE 5, 1911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913. w \91 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2. w

0. A. ALBRECHT.

BBAIDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION mum 11111115. 1911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

0. A. ALBRECHT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION rILnn JUHE s, 1911.

Patented Sept 16, 1913.

0. A. ALBRECHT.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

AIPLIGATION FILED JUNB5,1911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

6 BKEETE-BHBET 5.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSGAR A. ALBRECHT, OI OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR T0 0. A. ALBRECHT C( JMPANY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

BRAIDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR A. ALBRECHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Braiding- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for mounted to revolve around a given center,

and a set'of shuttles mounted to revolve around the same center in the opposite direction, the threads from said bobbins and Shuttles all leading to said center and means being provided to cause the bobbin threads to pass alternately above and below the shuttle threads to effect a braiding of them together. More in detail it may be said that the bobbin threads travel laterally along a zigzag slot or guide, which lifts and lowers them at predetermined points around --the circumference of the machine, the shuttles passing under and over said threads when the latter lie at the extremes of the zigzag. The shuttles are positively lifted and lowered at the proper time by means of electro-magnets, each shuttle being controlled by two 0 positely disposed magnets, one above and t e other below it. A suitable switch controls the circuit of these electro-ma-gnets, so that they are energized alternately to lift and lower the shuttles, alternate shuttles being lifted simultaneously, while the intermediate ones are drawn down. The electro-magnets are arranged in two annular banks, one above the other, and concentric with the braiding center. There is suflicient space between them for the shuttles to play up and down. Both banks of electro-magnets are mounted on annular carriers, which revolve in unity. The electromagnets are connected upon in two separate series, alternate electro-magnets in the upper bank being in series with the intermediate electro-magnets in the lower bank. The switch which shifts the electric current from Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 5, 1911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

Serial No. 831,485.

'latter circuit is opened. In this way, in-

juri us sparkin is avoided and the shuttles are under e ectro-magnetic control.

Various other details of construction and operation will appear in the more extended description given below, and the several features of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the portion of a braiding machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the s acers in the ball-bearings. Fig. 3 is a si( e elevation of: the belt shifting lever. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine, partly in sections. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the magnet carriers and magnets. Fig. (5 is a cross section of a portion of the machine on a larger scale. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a bobbin and a shuttle on a larger scale. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the stop motion weights. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of a shuttle. Fig. 10 is an end view of a shuttle.

Fig. 11 is a side view, partly in section, of the brake lever on the shuttle. Fig. 12 is a section of the take-off rolls. Fig. 13 is a diagram of the electrical circuits. Figs. 14, 15 and 16 show developments of the rotary switch in different positions. Figs. 17'and 18 are sectional views of the rotary switch.

The baseplate 1 is supported on suitable legs, and has a counter sunk annular inner portion, 2, in which is a circular groove 3 for a set of balls, l, forming part of a ball bearing hereinafter referred to. Arms 5 attached to and integral with said baseplate intersect at the center thereof, and support the center bearing 6 on which is mounted a hub 7 of insulating material. Four slip rings 8 are let into said hub, and are spaced apart to insulate them from each other.

Resting upon and concentric with the base plate is the lower magnet carrier, consisting of a low cylindrical wall 9, having a lower external flange 10, which fits into the countersink 2 in the baseplate. The periphery of said flange is'provided with gear teeth so that it forms a circular rack or annular spur gear. In the under side of said flange s a circular roove 11, coiiperating with the groove 3 in t e baseplate, and forming therewith a raceway for the balls 4. The lower magnet carrier is thus mounted for revolution upon a ball bearing. Said carrier which intersect at the center of the carrier "their mode of attachment'to this gear ring 1 plate and a pinion, 49, meshing. with the teeth 20 in I supportanfiipper.track ring or galle arefsfecurei d' and support a downward projecting pivot in 13, which is journaled in the center caring 6. From the upper edge of the 0y.- lindrical wall 9 of the carrier, a horizontal flange 14 extends inwardly, having in its upper surface a plurality of shallow radial grooves, 15, whose cross section is an arc of a circle. The grooves are so arranged that their forward edges, as the carrier revolves, coincide with radii of the carrier. On the outer side of flange 14 are supported electrom ets which will be described hereinafter. ust above the flange 10 of the carrier is located the lower track ring comprising an annular plate 16, which has a circumferential cylindrical flange 17, coinciding with the outer edge of the baseplate, and secured thereto. In the upper surface of said track ring 16 is a concentric groove, 18, forming a portion of the raceway for a ball bearing, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. Itising from the inner edge of said track rm 9 o the lower magnet carrier, is a series of lar e truncated teeth, 19, having flat tops an oppositely inclined edges.

An annular revoluble bobbin carrier rests on the stationary track ring 16, consisting of a flat ring 20, having its periphery provided with gear teeth 20'. In the under side of this ring gear is a concentric groove 21, coiiperating with groove 13 to form a raceway for the balls 22, on which the ring gear .is revolubly mounted. The bobbins and will behereinafter-described. Y

.Atj suitable-points around the base plate uprights or brackets, 23, which harm ["a series of large truncated teet 25, "to

dge similar in e' to the teeth 19 on the track ring, 16,

a inter-meshing with said teeth '19. The

tops andfledges of these two sets of teeth,

'11} do not'touch, but leave between them a con- I fannular flange finuo'us cam slot which serves as a raceway er lide for the bobbin threads, as hereingroove26.

The upper magnet carrier is revolubly supported on the gallery 24, by means of an 27 extending outwardly from the cylindrical wall, 28, of said carrier. In the underside of'said flange, 27, is a concentric groove, 29, which cooperates with the 16, and adjacent to the cylindrical wall 3. fter more fully set forth. In the upper. sur-- :face of the ring or gallery 24 is' 'a concentric roraaae [groove 26 in the gallery to form a raceway for balls 30 on which said upper magnet carrier is revolubly mounted.

It should be remembered that in all the ball bearings above described, the balls are held in their proper relative position by suitable spacers, 31.

also has a spider, composed of arms 12, From the lower edge of the wall 28 of the upper carrier extends an internal flange, 32, on which is supported the upper set of electro-magnets. In the under surface of said flange 32 are shallow grooves 33, having one edge radial, similar to the grooves 15 in the upper surface of the flange 14, of the lower carrier. ,The number of grooves in the two carriers is equal, and they are arranged opposite to each other, as shown in Fig. 6. The number of said grooves bears such a relation to the size of the truncated teeth 19 25 that when the machine is in operation each bobbin thread 'will. pass first under two adjacent shuttles and then over the next two, successively.

The'upper magnet carrier has a number of arms, 34, converging toward'the center of said carrier, and supporting there an upright hub, 35, which is journaled on a pivot pin, 36, carried by a yoke, 37, bridging the upper carrier, and supported on the gallery. The hub carries a sleeve, 38, of insulating material, having four slip-rings 39 let into it, and spaced apart to-insulate them from each other.

Power is applied to the machine for drivmg the several earners by means of'a transverse ma1n shaft, 40, ournaled 1n hangers,

41, depending from the baseplate. On saidshaft are fastened a tight pulley, 42, and a loose pulley, 43. A belt shifting lever, 44, is located adjacent to said pulleys. At one end of said main shaft is a bevel gear 45 meshing with a similar gear, 46, on an upright jack shaft, 47, suitably journaled in bearings in-a frame, 48, secured to the base the gallery. On said jack shaft is the edge of the bobbin carrier, 20. Other pinions 50 and 51 mesh respectively with idle gears, 52 and 53, which in turn mesh with the teeth 10 in the edge of the lower magnet carrier, and with the teeth 27' in the edge of the flange 27 of the upper magnet carrier. By means of the idle gears, the magnet carriers are given a direction of rotation opposite to that imparted to the bobbin carrier. The gears are of such size that the three carriers all make the same number of revolutions per minute.

Having thus described the main parts of the machine, and manner in which they are pin or journal, 55, which is received in an eye in an upright standard, 56, preferably made of resilient metal so that said journals can be sprung into place. The bobbins lie horizontally with their axes tangent to a circle concentric with the carrier. Adjacent to each bobbin is a bent arm, 57, carried on a rock shaft, 58, and urged by a spring, 59, against the thread on said bobbin. This serves as a brake or tension device, and it exerts the same retardation on the thread at all times irrespective of the amount of thread on the spool, because the difference in the tension of the spring when the spool is full, as compared with that when it is nearly empty, is immeasurable. The threads from the bobbins pass first through an eye, on a guide pin, 60, then through an eye 61, on a weight 62, sliding on an upright rod, then through guide eyes, 63 and 64, and thence through a bail, 65, to the zigzag slot between the teeth, 19 and 25, to the point of braiding. The weight 62 forms part of a stop motion, which will be described later.

Each shuttle is composed of a cylindrical casing, 66, made of steel, or other magnetic material, and adapted to receive the spool, 67, and permit the latter to turn freely therein on a tubular pin, 68. One end of the casing is closed, and at the other end is a head, 66, adapted to be screwed on the end of the pin, 68, and when in proper position it is locked by a spring catch, 69, entering a hole 70, in the wall of the casing. The head can be readily removed when a fresh spool is to be inserted, by engaging a suitable wrench with sockets in said head, and releasing the catch by pressing upon it with a blunt pointed instrument. The thread of the shuttle passes through an eyelet, 71, near the middle-of the inside of the casing, and out through a hole, 72, in the closed end of the casing, thence through a guide eye in a projection, 73, from there back toward the casing, and through an eye in the end of a flexible lever, 74, fulcrumed on the end of the casing, and extending diametrically across it, and thence through a wire loop, 75, hinged to the casing, and adapted to lead the thread away from the shuttle on a line coinciding with the axis of the casing. The flexible lever, 74-, carries a brake block, 76, which extends through a hole in the end of the casing, and bears against the end of the spool therein. Attached to said lever between the brake block and the eye in the end of said lever is a long, helical spring, 77, which runs through the pivot pin,.68, in said casing, and is attached to a screw, 78, in the opposite end thereof. When the ma-. chine is not operating, the spring keeps the brake block pressing tightly against the spool, so that itcannot turn. In this position the flexible lever is curved toward the casing, as shown in Fig. 11, but when a pull is exerted on the thread by the braiding operation, it tends to straighten the lever, and in so doing it relieves to a certain extent the pressure on the brake block, so that the spool can turn. The harder the pull on the thread, the more the lever is swung away from the casing, and the less becomes the friction between the block and the spool. In other words, the tension on the thread is automaticall adjusted to all the various conditions 0 speed. Moreover as the quantity of thread wound on the s 001 diminishes and the diameter of the filling becomes smaller, it would ordinarily require an increasingly harder pull on the thread to unwind it, but this increased resistance causes the pressure of the brake block to be reduced correspondingly, so that the tension is kept the same for all quantities of filling on the spool. This insures an even and uniform texture of the braid.

The-shuttle lies in the shallow grooves in the magnet carrier, and in radial alinement with-the alternate teeth, 19 and 25. The magnates are arranged in line with said grooves, there being preferably two electromagnets on each carrier for each groove, with their poles located at the ends of the shuttle casing. This arrangement prevents the shuttle from shifting longitudinally, which might happen if the poles of the magnets were set closer together than the length of the casing.

Each electro-magnet is preferably ironclad; that is to say it has an outer jacket, 7!), which incloses the winding, 80, and is concentric with the central core, 81. A filling, 82, of brass or other non-magnetic material, is inserted between the end of the core and the cylindrical end of the jacket, joining the other pole, so that the magnetic llux has to pass through the steel casing of the shuttle in passing from core to jacket. The entire magnet is let into a socket in the flange of the magnet carrier, so that its poles (the core and jacket) are in the shallow grooves. T o prevent the casing or shuttle from sticking to the magnet core, the latter is countersunk a little below the surface of the groove, so that there is always an air gap in the path of the magnetic flux. The cores of all the magnets are of one polarity, and the jackets of the opposite polarity.

There are two magnets for each shuttle on each carrier; these two magnets in each pair are not connected directly in series, but all the co-acting magnets in the outer row are in series with all the corresponding magnets in the inner row. The circuits are bearing on each of the slip r' w .on the two hubs, 7 and 35, is a brush, composed of two resilient arms, 83, secured atone end to a. support, 84, extending therefrom on oppo-- site sides of the slip ring. The free. ends of these two arms are connected by a tenbrushes for the upper hub, 35, are carried by the yoke, 37, while the brushes for the lower hub, 7, are carried on an arm of the spider of the lower magnet carrier. Thesei rings and brushes are connected to the coilsof the several magnets in the following manner: Starting from the slip ring a on the upper hub, .a lead 6 runs to the first of a .set of coils a; in the u per bank. From. the last of these coils, a ead 12 runs to the; second slip ring o The brush, 0 resting on the ring is connected by a lead d with the stationary ring a on the lower hub. The brush bearing on this ring, and traveling with the lower magnet carrier, is connected by a lead 6 with, the first coil of a set of magnets m in the lower bank. From the last coil of this set a lead 7) runs to the brush, 0, bearing on the slip ring a, which is connected by a lead 03 with a stationary brush, c resting on the "slip ring a on the upper hub. This is connected by a lead 12 with the first of the alternate set of coils y in the upper bank, the last coil of this set being connected by a lead, 6 with the ring a. and brush 0*, from which a lead, (Z runs to the ring a and brush 0, connect-- ed by a lead b with the first of a set of similar alternate coils y in the lower bank. The last of these coils is connected by the lead 6 with the brush, c and slip ring a The next thing'to be considered is the switch by means of which the electric current cir-' cuit through these sets of coils in such a manner as first to energize the sets an m and then to energize the sets y 7 one set being inactive (or dead) while the other set is active, and vice versa. The object of this is to cause the shuttles to rise and fall, every other shuttle being attracted to the upper magnet carrier, while the intermediate ones are pulled down to the lower carrier. The switch is shown in Fig. 4, and a development of it appears in the diagrams, Figs. 13 to 16, showing the progressive positions of the brushes during one revolution. The switch has a cylindrical hub, 86, of insulating material, mounted on the main shaft 40, on which are secured three segments of metal insulated from each other. Each segment is cut away, as illustrated in the diagram. A single brush, 87, cooperates with the segment 87. Two brushes 88 and 89,

-with the segment 88, and a single brush with the segment 90. These brushes are set to coincide with the stepped portions of he segments, but each segment has 'a coneam tinuaus portion with which can 1 Hector, 87, 88, and 90 respectively. collector 8 7 .is electrically connected with the brush, 88, while the brush 89 is electrilead d with the lead (i The outer co ec- .tor 87 and 9 0 arerespectivelyconnected with the by the leads d and'd'. A line switch '91 controls the suppl of current to the machine, and .in the lea d are interposed some automatic locking and stop motion devices to be hereinafter described.

The brushes 87, 88, 89 and 90 are carried on the ends of lovers 92, which .are pivoted in a suitable br'u-sh holder frame, 93, having stops to arrest the downward movement of said brushes when they run off the edges of the stepped portions of the cooperating segments, so that the break in the electrical circuit will take place in air, the segments being mounted on the hub 86 and not let into it.

In the position shown in Fig. 13, the brushes 88 and 90 are in contact. with their segments. The circuit will therefore be through the set of coils w 02' only, by way of the light lines in the diagram. In the next position shown in Fig. 14, the brush 87 has made contact with the segment 87'. This brings the other set of coils, y y into circuit, but they will take but a small part of the total current owing to the fact that most of the current will flow by the path of less resistance through the brush 88 and segment 88, and collector 88*, the total current flowing through the coils a: m as be fore. In the third positionfig. 15) the conditions are reversed, all the current flbwing through the coils, y y, and but a small part of it going through the other coils (ioo while in the fourth position Fig. 16, the lat- 'field, one pair of magnets becoming energized before the other pair is entirely deenergized.

The stop motion operates as follows: In the lead d is an electro-magnet, 94, whose armature 95, when said magnet is de energized, drops into the path of the beltshifting lever, 44, and prevents the machine from being started before the electric current is thrown on. But when the switch 91 is closed, the magnet, 94, lifts its armature 97, which electro-magnet is in a shunt around the eIe'ctro-inagnet 94. The armature 96 has a hook 98, which serves to lock the lever. 44:. in this position, holding it against the tension of a spring, which tends to throw it to the off position. In series with the electro-magnet 97 is one or more circuit breakers 99, each consisting of a pivoted lever mounted on the lower track ring, 16. As stated above, each bobbin thread is run through an eye on a weight 62, sliding vertically on a rod 63. These weights are so arranged that when a thread breaks the correspon'din weight drops to a position where it wil be brought against the up- Ward projecting arm, 100, of the circuit breaker lever, 99. The tilting of this lever opens the shunt circuit in which the detent magnet 97 is included, and the de'elnergizing of this-magnet permits the spring attached to the lever 44 to throw it over to its of position, and thereby stop the machine.

The operation of the machine may be briefly recapitulated as follows: Upon closing the line switch 91 and throwing over the belt shifting lever 44, the machine will be started- The two magnet carriers revolve in one direction, and the bobbin carriers in the opposite direction, but at the same rate of speed being all geared to the upright jack shait. The shuttle threads all run to the central braiding point, as also do the bobbin threads. The latter, however, are alternately lifted and lowered by the zig zag thread guide slot between the large teeth 19 and 25. When a bobbin thread is lifted by this zigzag slot a shuttle will be passing in the opposite direction, and will be drawn down to pass under said thread. Similarly,

, when a bobbin thread is sliding along a lower length of the zigzag, the passing shuttle will be lifted by its-magnet to allow said bobbin thread to slide under it. The machine is so timed that the bobbin threads and. the shuttle threads will only pass each other at the times when the former are at the extremes of the zigzag, and the segmentson the rotary switch are so arranged that the magnets will be suitably energized at these times to lift and lower the shuttles to permit the bobbin threads to pass under and over them, as the case may be. In the machine illustrated, the bobbin threads pass under two shuttles, and then over two, but by suitably changing the thread guides, and other coiiperating parts, the bobbin threads can be made to pass over and under a greater number of shuttle threads at a time.

' The arrangement of the shuttles with their forward edges radial insures that the bobbin thread will not catch on a corner of the shuttle, but will pass smoothly under or over, as the case may be. The braid goes up through an eye, 101, in the center of the pin 36, on the yoke, 37, and thence to the take off rolls, 102, 103, 104, running first over the upper roll, thence between that and the middle roll, and then between that and the lower roll. The journalsof the two upper rolls are received in upright slots, 105 in the upright side of a frame 106, mounted on the gallery 24, so that the pull of the braid will tend to force these rolls down ward, and thus enable them to have a sutlicient frictional hold upon the braid to take it up. The three rolls are all geared together by the gear teeth, :fi: 107, so that they all rotate at the same peripheral speed. The middle roll is driven by a gear 108,

meshing with the pinion, 109, sleeved on the shaft of the lower roll and provided with a worm gear, 110, meshing with a worm 111 on an extension of the jack shaft. In case a bobbin thread breaks, the weight, 62, hung on said thread drops and trips the circuit breaker lever, 99, which open circuits the locking electro-magnet 97, and releases the belt shifting lever 44, which is at once returned to its ofi position by the spring.

The shuttles are self centering by reason of the location of the magnets at the ends of said shuttles. This arrangement also keeps them in place, regardless of the effect of centrifugal force, and against the tension of the thread. Their cylindrical shape permits them to roll, it necessary, while the axle delivery of the thread permits them to do this without disturbing the feed. The machine consumes comparatively little power, and the electric current required is about 100 watts. The rotary switch makes the necessary circuit changes at the speed mentioned above, without serious sparking andis easily repaired in case it burns out. The machine has proved to be durable, economical and efficient.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carriedout by other equivalent means.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. A braiding machine comprising the combination with a plurality of cylindrical shuttles, and a plurality of bobbins, of means for revolving said bobbins in one direction, means for revolving said shuttles in the opposite direction, and electro-magnetic means for simultaneously lifting and lowering alternate shuttles alternately to permit the bobbin threads to pass them.

2. A braiding machine comprising the combination with a plurality of shuttles, and a plurality of bobbins, of means for A revolving them in opposite directions, a pluand a plurality of bobbins; of a revoluble magnets.

' dial carrier for the bobbins; two revoluble carriers between which the shuttles are located; a plurality of electro-magnets on each "of said latter carriers for holding said shuttles in contact therewith, and meansfor alter-- nately energizing and deenergizing alternate electro magnets on one of the shuttle carriers and diagonally opposite magnets of the other carrier simultaneously.

4. A braiding machine comprising the combination with a plurality of bobbins and a plurality of. shuttles; of concentric annular carriers therefor; means for revolving said carriers; oppositely disposed faces on two of said carriers containing shallow radial groovesto receive said shuttles; electrd magnets mounted on said grooved carriers in line with said grooves, and means for energizing and denergizing said electro- 5. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble, annular members having oppositely disposed faces, containing shallow,

radial grooves shuttles having metallic casings received in said grooves; electro-m'ag-rp nets on said annular members in line with said grooves; and means. for alternately energizing and denergizing said electromagnet-s. v

6. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble annular carriers; having oppositely disposed faces, containing shallow ragrooves; shuttles having cylindrical metallic casings received in said grooves, the forward side of each shuttle being on a radial line; electro-magnetic means for shifting said shuttles from one carrier to the other; and a. plurality of bobbins revolving in the opposite direction to the shuttles.

7. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble annular carriers, having oppositely disposed faces; a plurality of shuttles having metallic casings arranged between said faces; electro-magne'ts on each carrier, adjacent to said shuttles, and di vided into two sets, alternate electro-magnets on one carrier being connected in series with intermediate electro-magnets on the other carrier; and means for alternately energizing said sets of electro-magnets.

v 8. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble, annular carriers, having oppositely disposed faces; a plurality of shut tles having cylindrical, metallic casings arranged between said faces, and two electroovaete magnets on'eacli carrier for each shuttle,;lo cated end of said casings.

9. A braiding machine comprising apair of revoluble, annular carriers, having 0' p0 sitely disposed faces; a plurality of s uttles between said faces; and electro-magnets on said carriers foractuating said shuttles, said electro-magnets being iron clad and having their poles let into said carriers adjacent to said shuttles; v

10. A braiding machine comprising a pair of"revoluble,-annular carriers, having 5 f with theirupoles substantiallyatsthefi oppositely disposed faces, containing shallow radial grooves, and two electro-magnets for each groove on each carrier, said electro-magnets having iron jackets forming circular poles ad acent to the center core, and both poles being let into the carrier and coinciding with said grooves.

11. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble, annular carriers; shuttles having metallic casings, located between said carriers; electro-magnets on said carriers for actuating said shuttles, said electro-magnets being divided in two sets, those in one set alternating with those in the other set; and a rotary switch for connecting said sets in circuit alternately. i A

12. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble, annular carriers; a plurality of electro-magnets mounted on each carriers, and divided into two sets, alternate electro-magnets on one carrier being connected in series with intermediate electromagnets on the other carrier; and a rotary switch for connecting said sets in circuit of' said the circuit on one set, before cutting out the other set.

13. A braiding machine comprising a pair of revoluble, annular carriers, electro-magnets mounted on said carriers, and divided into two sets, and a rotary switch controlling said electro-magnets, said switch. having three stepped segments; brushes cotiperating with the stepped portions of the end segments, and connected with the terminals of the two sets of electro-magnets; supply mains in circuit with said end segments, a contact on the middle segment connected in between the two sets of electro-magnets, and

brushes cooperating with the stepped portions of themiddle segment, and connected respectively with the end segments.

14. A braiding machine comprisin a cylindrical carrier, having a horizonta. exterior toothed flange, and an internal. flange ,provided with shallow, radial grooves;

electro-magnets secured to the internal fiapge on' the opposite side from said grooves, and having poles extending through said flange a spider secured to said collecting devices atto said grooves; carrier; and current tached to said spider, and in circuit with said elect-ro-magnets.

15. A braiding machine comprising a base plate, stationary upper and lower track rings, a shuttle carrier rotatable on said base, a second shuttle carrier rotatable on the upper track ring in unison with the other carrier, a set of shuttles, means for shifting them alternately from one carrier to the other, alternate shuttles moving in opposite directions, a bobbin carrier rotatable on the lower track ring, and intermeshing truncated teeth on the two track rings forming a zigzag guide for the bobbin threads, the size of said teeth being so related to the number of bobbins and shuttles that alternate bobbin threads will be lifted while the intervening ones are being lowered, so that each thread will pass first over and then under two shuttle threads in succession.

16. A braiding machine having electrically controlled shuttles; a belt shiftin lever; an electro-magnetic lock to hold sai lever in the on position, and to release it when the thread breaks, and open the circuit of said electro-magnetic lock; and an electromagnetic detent which prevents said lever from being thrown to the operating position before the electric circuit is closed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR A. ALBRECHT.

Witnesses:

J osnrnmn HUNTmY, C. W. MARTIN. 

